Court slams importers of scrap explosives

A public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Advocate H.C. Arora seeking directions to the Union of India,DC Ludhiana and custom authorities to make a co-coordinated effort for destroying the “huge stock of explosives” lying at Dhandari Kalan Dry Port (at Ludhiana) since October,2004 came up for resumed hearing.

On the last hearing,the Court had directed the authorities to take immediate steps for destroying the explosives to prevent any mishap. Today,the Army Authorities filed an affidavit disclosing therein that the delay in disposing the explosives was due to the delay on the part of Punjab Government in processing the case for Battle Casuality status to military personnel in case of fatal causality and extended insurance to the concerned officers. The case took a new turn when the counsel for Army authorities submitted that the whole operation for destroying the explosives may require one crore rupees.

Taking the matter very seriously,the Bench observed that the concerned importers of scrap,that contained these explosives,should pay the whole expenses,in addition to the demurrage for the stocks for the last about four to five years for which the stock of explosives has been lying on the port. The bench has directed the custom authorities to file an affidavit explaining what steps had been initiated by them against the concerned importers,failing which the Customs Commissioner shall remain present in the HC on the next date of hearing.